Many Americans throughout the political spectrum grapple with one question: How old is too old to be president? As medical and scientific technologies advance, so does the average age of the American population, but many wonder if this means voters will allow for the average politician age to increase.
Math teacher Hannah Vogel said, “I wouldn’t ever put a qualifying age limit [for the presidency] because it depends on the individual and on modern science. I mean, who knows what kind of progress will be happening in years to come.”
Ms. Vogel’s thought that age is less important than the individual candidate themselves has been echoed by others in the RM community.
“I don’t think it has to do with a certain age, I think it has to do with their level of ability to keep up with the job,” senior Emilia Souchar said.
However, division between political parties has not been focused on Joe Biden and Donald Trump as individuals. Recently, there has been discussion surrounding Biden’s ability to work as president because of his age and abilities.
On Feb. 5, a special counsel report was released, investigating President Biden and his possession of certain classified documents. Though the conclusion was that no charges would be pressed, Biden’s campaign now deals with new problems. The report, written by Robert K. Hur, mentioned he couldn’t remember certain important dates from his vice presidency under Barack Obama, even going on to call him a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Biden’s lawyers responded, bashing Mr. Hur for writing in such a “prejudiced” way in an official report.
The evening of Feb. 5, after the report was published, Biden held a press conference addressing the report claims, during which he seemed visibly upset and made a verbal mistake. As Biden was speaking about the Israel-Gaza war, he referred to the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as the “president of Mexico” according to the New York Times.
This caused the topic of the President’s age to be at the center of the election conversation.
Though both candidates are within five years of each other, age seems like more of a liability for Biden and his campaign. Many refer to his generally subdued and “old man” demeanor.
Eligible voter and senior Shriya Kalluri said, “I think Trump even though he’s not really that much younger, he comes across as more robust.”
Some voters in the RM community see Trump’s overt expression as negative. “I am not voting for Trump under any circumstances,” Ms. Vogel said.
The Democratic party seems to have no alternate option, making people within the community frustrated that there are no younger candidates. “I feel like there should be some younger [politicians]… someone who can understand both the older and younger generations,” eligible voter and senior Raven Koslow said.
This notion has been corroborated by many other RM students. “I hope it sets a precedent for the future,” Kalluri said. “We need younger candidates in both parties. If someone is younger but doesn’t agree with your ideologies, that shouldn’t be your final reason to vote for them.”
Although many voters like RM students seek younger candidates, the main factor for their decisions is which party the candidates belong to. Tensions between Republican and Democratic parties stay high, and lead many to consistently side with their own party.
Souchar believes that there is one alternative. “People that aren’t going to vote because of Biden’s age, they won’t change their vote to Trump, they’re just not going to vote, and that is a lack of votes from a large amount of young people,” she said.
Though Kalluri, Souchar and Ms. Vogel all plan to vote in the upcoming election, for many others, Souchar’s point is reality. The hope for younger leaders coupled with the fact that young voters are generally the most unpredictable does not bode well for the Biden administration.
This especially is important since the youth demographic was a key base for the 2020 election, when Biden won over Trump. However, there are many changes that can occur in the time left leading up to the 2024 general election.
Ms. Vogel echoed this sentiment. “I think it’s up to the voters to decide who’s the viable candidate based on the circumstances,” she said.
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